[TV Daily, Reporter Choi Hana] Baek Jong-won, who is facing his biggest crisis due to a series of controversies, is attempting a comeback through broadcasting. Following MBC’s “Chef of the Antarctic,” he has officially resumed his TV activities with Netflix’s “Black and White Chef: Culinary Class War” Season 2 (hereafter “Black and White Chef 2”). As he hastened his return while unresolved issues remain, public opposition is expected to grow.
Earlier this year, The Born Korea faced a series of issues, including quality problems with the Baekham gift set, errors in origin labeling, suspicions of violating the Farmland Act, deficiencies in LPG safety management, and hygiene controversies, bringing them under scrutiny. Franchise owners pointed out that the head office’s expansion strategy led to burdens at the grassroots level, and some organizations called for Baek Jong-won to take responsibility, raising problems about the overall fairness, labor, and hygiene structure.
As the controversy escalated, Baek Jong-won announced in May that he would “halt broadcasting activities and focus on the company.” However, he drew a line stating “currently filming programs are exceptions.” At that time, the programs being filmed included “Black and White Chef 2” and tvN’s “Business Genius, Baek Sajang 3.” Some criticized this as a pre-calculated move for a comeback, but filming was not halted. In particular, Netflix and the producers of “Black and White Chef 2” fueled the controversy by expressing their firm intention to release the show publicly, stating they would “leave the judgment to the viewers.”